Breakfast key to helping you lose weight

Day Seven of your New Year's resolution to drop some pounds and get fit. So how's it going?

If you're reading this while you're having breakfast: kudos to you. If you skipped breakfast planning to bank those calories until later in the day: shame, shame.

Cookbook author and former Geneva caterer Pam Anderson knows the consequences of skipping breakfast all too well.

After years of putting on a pound here and a pound there (she was testing recipes, after all), Anderson found herself overweight and uncomfortable. She threw away her scale and diet books and got serious about breakfast. Studies in medical and nutrition journals cite the importance of breakfast: If your body doesn't get the food it needs after a night of sleep, it craves sugar for quick energy. That quick fix generally comes in the form of empty calories, not nutrition-packed foods that rev your body and mind.

"Eating early gets your metabolism going," says Anderson, who chronicles her story and shares some 200 recipes in her book, "The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great" (2008 Houghton Mifflin, $27). "You haven't eaten in up to 12 hours; if you don't feed your body in the morning, it goes into starvation mode. You're burning calories, but your body doesn't have the gas it needs to get going."

A healthy breakfast doesn't have to be all bran muffins and muesli. Anderson's book includes dozens of recipes for smoothies, parfaits, cereals, pizzas, pancakes and omelets, and quiche made with whole eggs and egg whites. Her recipes are simple and include several variations on the theme so you won't get bored. You can have sausage and cilantro omelets one day, Canadian bacon and Gruyere cheese the next. She serves her omelets open face "so they look bigger on the plate."

For a smoothie, Anderson suggests using as a base one cup of light vanilla or chocolate soy milk, a frozen banana and about two teaspoons of honey. By adding one cup of fresh or frozen pineapple or raspberries and other flavors, you can create a week's worth of variety.

Her yogurt parfaits include intriguing combinations like peach, cherries and toasted pecans, and honeydew and blackberries.

If you want pancakes or waffles, try whole grains.

In "Techniques of Healthy Cooking," the instructors at the Culinary Institute of America suggest a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flours to mellow the flavor. Rolled oats and buttermilk add flavor and texture as well.

"It doesn't help to skip one meal and load up on the next," Anderson says. "If you didn't eat breakfast, it doesn't mean you can have a double cheeseburger for lunch."

Anderson's book goes beyond breakfast, with perfect recipes for leaner soups, fish, meats, pastas and desserts.

Anderson reminds people that losing weight is not just about eating right, but about getting in tune with your body and changing your lifestyle.

"We all overeat for a reason; we're stressed, we're trying to do too much. You need to get a hold of that and start taking care of yourself.

"Don't think 'what can I stuff in my mouth?' Focus on what you are eating," she advises. "Make meals rituals; enjoy each meal."

• Newspaper Enterprise Association contributed to this report.

Sausage, Cilantro and Creamy Salsa-Verde Omelet

Omelet

1 teaspoon canola or other vegetable oil

1 large egg

1/4 cup liquid 100 percent egg whites

Generous sprinkling of salt and ground black pepper

Topping

2 tablespoons light sour cream

2 tablespoons store-bought salsa verde

1/2 fully cooked lean turkey sausage, sliced thin

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Heat the oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet set over low heat. Beat egg and egg whites in a small bowl along with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and salsa verde. Set aside.

A couple of minutes before cooking, increase temperature to medium-high. When wisps of smoke start to rise from pan, swirl the pan so the oil coats it completely.

Add eggs. Using a plastic or wooden spatula to push back the eggs that have set, tilt the pan so that uncooked eggs run into the empty portion of the skillet. Continue pushing back the cooked eggs, and tilt the pan until the omelet top is wet but not runny. Turn heat to low, and sprinkle the top of the eggs with the sausage, salsa-verde mixture and cilantro. Cover and cook until the cilantro has wilted, about 2 minutes.

Serves one.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 266 calories, 18 g fat (4.5 g saturated), 5 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 28 g protein, 275 mg cholesterol, 660 mg sodium.

"The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great" by Pam Anderson (2008 Houghton Mifflin, $27)

Four grain waffles

12 ounces nonfat buttermilk

1 egg

2 egg whites

2 ounces vegetable oil

4 ounces all-purpose flour

3 ounces whole wheat flour

1 ounce cornmeal

2 ounces rolled oats

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 ounce sugar

Vegetable oil spray, as needed

Combine the buttermilk, egg, egg whites and oil in a large bowl.

Combine the flours, cornmeal, oats, baking powder and sugar in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix just until incorporated.

Lightly spray a hot waffle iron with vegetable oil. Ladle 2-ounce portions of the batter into the waffle iron and cook until the waffle is golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Serves eight (two waffles each).

Cook's note: Serve with fresh fruit and yogurt, warm fruit compote or Maple and Apple Butter Syrup (recipe on Page 2).

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 365 calories, 9 g fat, 55 g carbohydrates, 15 g protein, 46 mg cholesterol, 456 mg sodium.

"Techniques of Healthy Cooking" by the Culinary Institute of America (2008 Wiley)

Pina Colada Smoothies

1 cup frozen pineapple (see note)

1 medium peeled frozen banana

1 cup light vanilla soy milk

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (see note)

Drop pineapple and banana into a blender.

In a 1-cup Pyrex measure, whisk soy milk, honey, lemon juice and extract. With blender on high, add the milk mixture through the feeder top, stopping and stirring as necessary, until mixture is smooth. Pour into a glass and serve.

Serves one.

Cook's note: This adapts to many variations. Swap the pineapple out for frozen raspberries and add 1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest instead of coconut extract. Or try frozen peaches and almond extract.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 291 calories, 2 g fat (0 saturated), 80 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 6 g protein, 0 cholesterol, 95 mg sodium.

"The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great" by Pam Anderson (2008 Houghton Mifflin, $27)

Quick Cinnamon with Buttermilk Icing

Vegetable oil spray

Filling

1/3 cup packed (21/3 ounces) dark brown sugar

1/3 cup (21/3 ounces) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

Dough

21/2 cups (121/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

11/4 cups buttermilk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, divided

Icing

2 tablespoons light cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons buttermilk

3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar

Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 8-inch-square baking pan and a wire rack with the vegetable oil spray; set aside.

For the filling: Mix all the ingredients together; set aside.

For the dough: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter together. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed (the dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy, about 30 seconds.

Pat the dough with your hands into a 12-by-9-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the remaining tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with the filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border of plain dough around the edges. Press the filling firmly into the dough.

Using a bench scraper or metal spatula, loosen the dough from the work surface. Starting at the long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal. Roll the log seam-side down and slice it evenly into 9 pieces with dental floss. With your hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal the open edges and keep the filling in place.

Arrange the rolls in the prepared baking dish (3 rows of 3 rolls). Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 12 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the edges of the rolls are golden brown, 12-14 minutes longer.

Use an offset metal spatula to loosen the rolls from the pan. Wearing oven mitts, place a large plate over the pan and invert the rolls onto the plate. Place a greased wire rack over the plate and flip the rolls onto the rack. Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes before icing.

For the icing: While the rolls cool, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy cleanup). Set the rack of cooling rolls over the baking sheet.

Whisk the cream cheese and buttermilk together in a large nonreactive 1 bowl until thick and smooth (the mixture will look like cottage cheese at first). Sift the confectioners' sugar over the mixture; whisk until a smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds. Spoon the glaze evenly over the rolls.

Serves nine.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 280 calories, 4.5 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 55 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein, 15 mg cholesterol, 340 mg sodium.

"The Best Light Recipe" by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated (2006 America's Test Kitchen)

Maple and Apple Butter Syrup

6 ounces apple butter

4 ounces apple cider

6 ounces maple syrup

Gently heat apple butter and cider in a small sauce pan. Add the syrup and return to a simmer. Serve warm.

Serves 16.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 61 calories, 0 fat, 16 g carbohydrates, 0 protein, 0 cholesterol, 4 mg sodium.

"Techniques of Healthy Cooking" by The Culinary Institute of America (2008 Wiley, $65)

Oatmeal Apricot Muffins

Vegetable oil spray

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup uncooked quick-cooking or regular rolled oats

1/3 cup toasted wheat germ

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup fat-free milk

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg, or 1 egg

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup snipped dried apricots

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper bake cups or lightly spray with vegetable oil spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, wheat germ, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center.

In another medium bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients except the apricot. Stir the liquid mixture into the dry mixture until just moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in the fruit.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, using about 1/4 cup batter for each cup. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the bake cups. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 12.

Cook's note: To prevent scissors or knife from becoming sticky when you snip or chop dried fruit, lightly spray the utensil with vegetable oil spray or dip it in hot water.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 133 calories, 1 g fat (0 saturated), 28 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein, 0 cholesterol, 165 mg sodium.

American Heart Association